These Regulations further amend the National Health Service (General Medical Services) Regulations 1992 which regulate the terms on which general medical services are provided under the National Health Service Act 1977.

Regulation 2 contains provisions amending the length of time doctors have to respond to complaints made by or on behalf of patients or former patients under their practice based complaints procedure. The time permitted to doctors to formally acknowledge complaints orally or in writing is reduced from three to two days (excluding Saturdays, Sundays, Christmas Day, Good Friday and bank holidays), whereas the time permitted to provide a complainant with a written summary of investigations and conclusions is increased from 10 to 20 working days (excluding Saturdays, Sundays, Christmas Day, Good Friday and bank holidays) .